Israel: Information on the treatment by the authorities of a Palestinian Muslim married to an Israeli Jewish woman
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 June 1993 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | ISR14334 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Israel: Information on the treatment by the authorities of a Palestinian Muslim married to an Israeli Jewish woman, 1 June 1993, ISR14334, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6aad18.html [accessed 31 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
An article by Yossi Klein Halevi stated that marriage and divorce in Israel are overseen by a state religious court, which is also responsible for conversions (The Jerusalem Report 20 May 1993, 10).
According to a representative of the Consulate of Israel in New York, marriages are under the jurisdiction of the orthodox rabbis, so it is not possible to have a mixed marriage performed in Israel (16 June 1993). There are no civil marriages in Israel (Ibid.). The representative added that couples of different faiths, such as a Palestinian Muslim man and an Israeli Jewish woman, would have to go to Cyprus to be married, after which they would register their marriage with the Ministry of the Interior in Israel (Ibid.). The representative stated that the Palestinian Muslim husband would not face any particular problems from the Israeli authorities, but there are ultra-orthodox groups in Israel that might try to disrupt a mixed marriage between a Palestinian Muslim and a Jewish woman (Ibid.). According to an Israeli lawyer in Jerusalem, the government of Israel has not taken any official position on this issue, instead preferring a more informal approach (16 June 1993). The lawyer added that militant Jewish groups like Yad Lahaim are trying to either obstruct or terminate mixed marriages between Muslims and Jews (Ibid.). Groups like Yad Lahaim refer to their activities as attempts to "save" Jewish members of mixed marriages (Ibid.).
A representative of the Palestinian Human Rights Information Centre in Jerusalem also mentioned the existence of militant Jewish groups that try to disrupt mixed marriages involving Muslims and Jews (16 June 1993). The representative added that there are neither civil nor legal mixed marriages in Israel (Ibid.). It would be very difficult for a Palestinian Muslim to marry an Israeli Jewish woman in Israel (Ibid.). Mixed couples often have to go to Cyprus to marry, then register their marriage with the Ministry of the Interior in Israel (Ibid.). The representative is aware of one case of informal pressure from the authorities where the parents and employer of a Jewish woman were contacted by the Ministry of Religious Affairs and warned that their daughter or employee was marrying a Palestinian Muslim man (Ibid.).
For further information on the above-mentioned subject please refer to the attached document.
References
Consulate General of Israel, New York. 16 June 1993. Telephone Interview with Representative. Israeli Lawyer, Jerusalem. 16 June 1993. Telephone Interview.
The Jerusalem Report. 20 May 1993. Yossi Klein Halevi. "The Hard Road to Judaism."
Palestinian Human Rights Information Centre, Jerusalem. 16 June 1993. Telephone Interview with Representative.
Attachment
The Associated Press (AP). 4 November 1991. Mona Ziade. "Kanaan is a Jew, And a Palestinian Muslim Too." (NEXIS)
